


Burning Up

by Cyan (vehicroids)



Category: Tales of Berseria
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, This is just silly, idiots I swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:09:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23096869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vehicroids/pseuds/Cyan
Summary: Eleanor wants to offer to patch up Eizen's shirt, but something stops her.
Relationships: Eizen/Eleanor Hume
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11





	Burning Up

Eleanor can’t stop staring at Eizen.

Not in  _ that _ sense, naturally - not that Eizen is ugly or anything - but because of something else. Her eyes are trained on Eizen’s back as she walks behind him. It’s too hot for him to wear his coat, and it’s instead looped around his arm, allowing Eleanor a good view of his shirt. For a supposedly well-groomed pirate, he hasn’t taken very good care of his clothing; the back of his shirt is ripped. Though, at least it’s not as bad as Velvet, whose outfit is held together by magic at this point.

Back to Eizen, it appears he’s attempted to mend his shirt with some dark fabric. It’s a strange fabric; it certainly doesn’t look like it’s made out of cloth. Leather, perhaps? No, that takes a lot of skill to sew, and it would be pointless if no one could see it. Scraps from his old jacket, maybe? Eleanor isn’t sure. She tilts her head, trying to catch the light on it better, but it’s not very effective. She could offer to mend the shirt for him and get rid of those ghastly dark patches of fabric. It’s probably part of his edgy aesthetic, but it’s very ugly.

“I can feel you staring.”

Eleanor flinches - she’s been busted. Eizen looks over his shoulder at her, lips pressed into a thin line. She’s not afraid of him, but the height difference certainly helps him look more intimidating. While he  _ is _ an earth malak, must he always have such a stone-cold expression?

“I was just wondering about the fabric on your shirt,” she says, casting a glance at the leathery spots once again.

Maybe that’s not leather, come to think of it, but she can’t think what else it could be. She almost wants to touch it, to satisfy her curiosity, but she holds herself back. Just barely. She folds her arms across her chest for good measure. Eizen tries to look at his back, but to no avail.

“Fabric?” he mutters, pulling on his shirt.

As he pulls, the black spots are covered up, exposing pale flesh in their stead where the fabric is ripped. Eleanor’s eyes widen, shock and confusion shaking her at once. Eizen lets go of himself and lets out an  _ ah _ as he looks at her. He turns around to face Eleanor.

“Before you say anything, I’m fine--”

“That barely looks any different from daemon markings!”

She can’t hide the worry in her voice, but she doesn’t feel like she’s wrong for worrying. It reminds her of Velvet’s arm, concealing her own daemonhood. Is this so different? Is he secretly a half-daemon, half-malak? Is that even possible? Eizen sighs.

“It’s burnt flesh,” he concedes. “Using my artes for so long burned holes in my back.”

“Are you going to tell me this is part of your curse, too?” Eleanor asks.

“No. This is my own fault. I knew the cost of powerful artes and the toll it would take on my body,” he says.

Eleanor presses her lips together - trust Eizen to act recklessly. She knows now what caused it; she can see it in her head. Dark wings sprout out from Eizen’s back, almost like a dragon’s wings. For those moments, he’s almost a monster. This is the price he pays for such power? Honestly, Eleanor isn’t sure it’s worth it.

“Does it hurt?” she asks after a few moments.

“No, I can’t even feel it anymore. Do you want to touch it?”

Oh good grief, yes; they both know she’s too curious not to touch it. Her sickened curiosity must be indulged one way or another. She wonders if the nerves have been burned away, or if he simply cannot feel the pain. The thought makes Eleanor feel unwell.

“Would you mind?”

“If I did, I wouldn’t offer.”

He presents his back to her, and Eleanor gets a proper look now. She’s no stranger to charred bodies, which is something she hoped not to see again, but it’s strange on Eizen, like someone grafted in charred flesh. She reaches, before pausing, before putting her hand on it. Eleanor shudders and immediately pulls away - it feels disgusting. It’s unlike anything she’s ever felt before, and so against her better judgement, she tries again. Experimentally, she digs a nail into the flesh, but Eizen doesn’t even so much as flinch.

It’s amazing, on a purely scientific level, how much a body can take. On every other level, Eleanor wants to exfoliate every dead skin cell from her body, and his. On second thought, not his - that would require getting to know him on an intimate level, and she’s not exactly sure how to feel about that. She cuts off her train of thought before she can escape with it.

“Are you done?” he asks, and she removes her hand.

“Oh! Yes, I’m sorry. I think it’s interesting, that’s all. I was going to ask if you wanted me to patch up your shirt, but I think that would be pointless,” Eleanor says.

“You’re right, it would just burn up again.” He looks over his shoulder at her. “Unless this is a ploy to get me shirtless.”

“No! Absolutely not! I was offering as a  _ friend _ ,” she squeaks.

She knows her voice is several octaves too high, especially from how the others stopped to stare at her. Eleanor clears her throat and stands up straighter like she didn’t just scream, and like she doesn’t want to scream again.

“A- anyway, the offer is there in general. I’ve been told I’m very good with my hands, so I’m happy to help,” she says.

“Oh, now I know you’re trying to flirt,” he says.

“I am  _ not! _ In fact, I take it back. I’m not mending your clothes for you.”

Eleanor huffs, her cheeks red. She realises he’s only teasing, and she knows she shouldn’t let it get to her, but it does. Eizen laughs, but he drops it. She’ll never be on his level.

**Author's Note:**

> 21st September: posted my last Tales fic. 22nd September: got FE3H and wasn't the same. Nor is my Eleanor, who's been ruined by Bernie von Varley. I'm so sorry that she sounds like that - I listened to some Berseria skits and STILL ended up Like This
> 
> ANYWAY BACK ON MY TALES BS. Thanks to @velvetcrowe on Twitter for the request eheheh I missed these two so much. If anyone else has any requests, I'm happy to oblige
> 
> "Cyan does this count as shippy?" Listen I call them fighting together at the end shippy. Idk what to tell you bud
> 
> Bug me on [Tumblr](http://vehicroids.tumblr.com) || [Twitter](https://twitter.com/vehicroids)


End file.
